Securitize, a leader in tokenizing real-world assets, announced the successful completion of a $47 million funding round led by BlackRock. This strategic investment also includes funding from Hamilton Lane, ParaFi Capital, and Tradeweb Markets. In connection with the financing, Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s Global Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships, has been appointed to Securitize’s Board of Directors.
This funding highlights Securitize’s industry-pioneering efforts in digitizing capital markets with blockchain technology. And the contributed capital will drive Securitize’s continued innovation and expansion as it further solidifies its position as a digital asset securities ecosystem leader.
Other strategic investors in the funding round include Aptos Labs, Circle, and Paxos. Securitize will use the proceeds to accelerate product development, expand its global footprint, and further strengthen its partnerships across the financial services ecosystem.
This funding round coincides with the launching of BlackRock’s first tokenized fund issued on Ethereum: the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL). Investors can subscribe to the fund with Securitize.
BUIDL seeks to offer a stable value of $1 per token and pays daily accrued dividends directly to the investors’ wallets as new tokens each month. And the fund invests 100% of its total assets in cash, U.S. Treasury bills, and repurchase agreements, enabling investors to earn yield while holding the token on the blockchain. The investors can transfer their tokens 24/7/365 to other pre-approved investors. With Circle, BUIDL holders can transfer their shares to Circle for USDC through its smart contract functionality. The fund participants will also have flexible custody options, allowing them to choose how to hold their tokens.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are thrilled to have the support of such distinguished investors as we continue to drive the digitization of capital markets through tokenization. In our view, the transformative potential of blockchain technology to reshape the future of finance in general – and tokenization in particular – is promising.”
- Securitize Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Domingo
“At BlackRock, we believe that tokenization has the potential to drive a significant transformation in capital markets infrastructure. Our investment in Securitize is another step in the evolution of our digital assets strategy. We are pleased to lead this investment round alongside other participants and help foster innovation that will help meet the future needs of our clients.”
- Joseph Chalom
“Hamilton Lane has a deep history with Securitize, having partnered initially in 2022 and since then enabling access to our Senior Credit Opportunities Fund (SCOPE) as well as our Equity Opportunities Fund V. We are committed to making the private markets accessible to a broader set of investors, including through digital first, token-based technology. Securitize continues to be a leader in this space and we are thrilled with this investment and excited to continue our collaboration.”
- Juan Delgado, Hamilton Lane Co-CEO
“Securitize has built cutting edge infrastructure that enables traditional assets to move onto the high speed, modern rails of blockchains — enabling greater transparency, immediate settlement, reduced counterparty risk, and heightened programmability. At ParaFi, we’ve invested broadly across digital asset and tokenization infrastructure and are thrilled to partner with Carlos and the Securitize team to enable this vision of the future.”
- Ben Forman, Founder and Managing Partner of ParaFi
“Tokenization has the potential to drive greater efficiency and accessibility across financial markets. Securitize’s expertise in digital asset securities aligns nicely with Tradeweb’s focus on delivering cutting-edge technology that strengthens market infrastructure for our clients.”
- Tradeweb Chief Product Officer Chris Bruner
